The automaker would not confirm if it was dropping Microsoft for Blackberry. Spokeswoman Susannah Wesley said: "Ford and Microsoft are longtime partners, and we continue working together for the future."

She said Ford works with a variety of companies for its in-car connectivity systems and that it does "not discuss details of our work with others or speculate on future products for competitive reasons."

Neither Microsoft nor Blackberry responded to requests for comment. Both companies work with automakers on providing similar technology.

Microsoft has partnerships with Fiat, Nissan and Kia.

The Blackberry-owned software system called QNX is used in Audi and BMW vehicles for navigation and music. Earlier reports suggested that QNX would operate future versions of Ford Sync.

If true, Ford would be one of QNX's biggest customers. The car company faced criticism in 2011 for the Sync system freezing and crashing. Ford said it expects to make its newest Sync version available on another 3.4 million vehicles this year.